Tag Archives: Species at Risk Act
Highway 101 shut down as Avon River causeway protestors urge action to allow free fish passage
On Nov. 16, Howe was among the dozens of people who gathered to hold a ‘respectful, reduced traffic flow’ on Highway 101. The majority of traffic was detoured but some trickled through, starting and stopping in six-minute intervals to reflect the short time frame that fish have to pass through the gated structure. It was an inconvenience to many motorists – but according to fisherman Darren Porter, it was a necessary move. “At the end of the day, how else do you get media here?” asked Porter, while surrounded by water defenders. Porter has been drawing attention to the limited fish passage in Windsor for several years. >click to read< 07:38
Fraser River Sockeye salmon recommended for listing under Species At Risk Act
The recommendation, announced Monday by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, an independent scientific body that advises the federal government, is the most significant acknowledgement to date of the jeopardy facing the iconic red-bodied fish that was once the mainstay of British Columbia’s salmon industry. “It’s a signal of a larger issue,” said Eric Taylor, committee chair and fish ecologist at the University of British Columbia. “The Fraser River is having trouble supporting these fish.” click here to read the story 14:37
Fishermen raise concerns over proposed measures that could harm lobster fishery
It was a concerned and frustrated group of fishermen that met with DFO officials Thursday in Yarmouth during a special meeting of the Lobster Fishing Area 34 Advisory Committee. The fishermen say proposed measures to help in the recovery of the cusk population – including a potential 10 per cent trap reduction for lobster licence holders – are based on incorrect data and, if implemented, would hurt the lobster industry. The LFA committee passed a motion to have another meeting in June, once the lobster season is over, with DFO and others to discuss the issue further. Fishermen attending the March 17 session said there doesn’t seem to be a problem with the cusk population and that the measures DFO is considering are unnecessary. Read the rest here 08:12
Coldwater Lobster Association wants more members, says many issues facing Nova Scotia industry
Coldwater Lobster Association, covering Lobster Fishing Area 34 in southwestern Nova Scotia, says there are issues that could have dire outcomes on the lobster industry. The association has around 80 members but says it would have more clout at the table with DFO and other groups if it was speaking for a larger percentage of the industry. One issue is a pending decision on whether to list cusk under the Species at Risk Act. COSEWIC(Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada) is collecting opinion online and through consultations until March 18. The committee says the mature portion of the cusk population has declined by 85 per cent over three generations. Read the rest here 11:29
Atlantic sturgeon season approved as DFO ponders species status
A small commercial fishery for Atlantic sturgeon in the St. John River will begin as usual next month, despite a looming federal decision on whether to list the giant fish under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. Mike Dadswell, a retired Acadia University sturgeon researcher, says the report contains errors and out-of-date information. He said the population size of up to 2,000 breeding fish used by COSEWIC is a significant underestimate, and puts the true number of around 11,500, which he says is “close to the virgin population of 11,000 adults in 1880.” Read the rest here 07:40
Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC): Endangering an industry
It all began in the fall of 2013 when reports surfaced about the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) making recommendations to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to list Atlantic cod under the Species at Risk Act. Read more here 23:19
Court finds ‘enormous systemic problem’ in enforcement of Species at Risk Act
OTTAWA – A Federal Court judge has ruled that the environment minister and the fisheries minister both broke the law when they failed to enforce the Species at Risk Act. David Suzuki Foundation, Greenpeace Canada and the Sierra Club of British Columbia get a payday. Read more@globalpost 15:41
DFO should rethink eulachon plan for 2013 say First Nation leaders
Chilliwack Progress – Sto:lo Tribal Council president Clarence Pennier said they are asking that DFO rethink the eulachon plan for 2013. DFO limited 30 First Nations on the Lower Fraser River, with a combined population of 10,000 people, to a catch of only 400 pounds of eulachon last year, he said. “We didn’t fail to notice that DFO allowed the commercial shrimp trawl fleet to take up to eight tonnes of eulachon as by-catch.” continued
